Woman behind San Francisco's AAPI celebration a longtime champion of Asian Pacific heritage
The woman who began San Francisco's month-long celebration of Asian Pacific heritage in 2005 is still shining her spotlight on the community today.
Claudine Cheng has coordinated the city's annual Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month for 22 years.
"We want our community to shine every day of the year, but also especially during AAPI Heritage Month," Cheng said.
The idea came about unexpectedly in 2005, as she was making small talk while seated next to then-Mayor Gavin Newsom at a community event.
"I just kind of said, 'One third of San Francisco is Asian Pacific Americans. How come we do not have any citywide official celebration of this important occasion for our community?' And Mayor Newsom said, 'It's a great idea. Let's do it.'"
So Cheng founded the APA Heritage Foundation and worked behind the scenes to launch San Francisco's first official AAPI celebration in 2005. She has volunteered every year, galvanizing the community to spotlight its diverse ethnicities in a two-fold mission.
"On the one hand, we create opportunities to learn about the uniqueness of each ethnic group," Cheng said. "At the same time, we want everybody to see the beautiful picture of our community when we are together."
When she began organizing the city-wide celebration in 2005, Congress had already passed a law in 1992 making Asian Pacific American Heritage Month an annual month-long celebration.
The observance originated years before, when President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution in Congress into law in 1978, designating a week in May for the celebration of the history and contributions of Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S.
This year, with Cheng at the helm, a full calendar of events in the month of May highlights AAPI performing arts, music, authors, films and food, and more, citywide.
Her rallying cry is "We are stronger together."
"We need to show up, we need to speak up, we need people to understand where we are from," she told the crowd at the kickoff gala earlier this month at Herbst Theatre. "We belong and we should have our voices be hard."
Rose Chung of the Asian America Foundation and Miss Asian Global pageant praises Cheng as a strong leader.
"She has an ability to get everyone to join her in her vision," Chung said.
Grace Horikiri, who leads the Japantown Community Benefit District, has worked alongside Cheng for years.
"She saw a need, she made it happen. I'm just in awe of her," said Horikiri. "Anything AAPI-related, Claudine's the first person you should contact."
Cheng, a corporate governance and regulatory compliance attorney in private practice, has volunteered on dozens of other nonprofit and commission boards. They include Angel Island, elections, housing, music and schools.
She was a past national president of the Organization of Chinese Americans and currently serves on the boards of the Asian Art Museum, Chinatown Community Development Center, Commonwealth Club, Film Commission, and San Francisco Symphony.
Born in Hong Kong, she came to the Bay Area for law school years ago. She said her volunteerism was inspired by people who took an active part in the community, and she has found purpose and joy in doing the same.
"It's up to our community to roll out the red carpet for ourselves, otherwise nobody's going to do it," Cheng.
